Discovering some cool spots in the 'furnace'
By Xu Wenwen and Wu Huixin |
July 11, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
IT is true that Hangzhou is known as one of China's "furnaces," due to its high summer temperatures, but this does not mean the scenic city should be avoided during the hottest months. On the contrary, Hangzhou offers numerous spots where visitors can escape the heat.
Shanghai Daily introduces four places where lower temperatures, water and beautiful scenery provide cooler options where visitors can hike along tree-shaded mountainsides, splash in canyons, stroll on the banks of urban creeks, or just relax in former air-raid shelters, making summer in Hangzhou altogether more pleasant.
Tianmu area in Lin'an
Lin'an city in Hangzhou is especially recommended because of Tianmu area, which features mountains, lakes and cedar trees - its subtropical biodiversity leading to lower temperatures.
Most well-known is West Tianmu Mountain, 74 kilometers from Hangzhou. Dubbed the "kingdom of trees," this national nature reserve and world biosphere reserve has an average temperature below 22 degrees Celsius due to its geography and forest cover.
Along the mountain, farmer houses welcome visitors with authentic local food as well as simple accommodation - including flush toilets and air conditioning - with an average price of less than 100 yuan (US$15.7) a night.
The mountainside trees provide shade from the sun and create a quiet, idyllic atmosphere.
But if that's a bit too tranquil, visitors can have fun at Tianmu Canyon, location for kayaking, swimming and other water activities.
The only volcanic crater in east China, Tianmu Canyon is characterized by spectacular volcanic formations. Long-cooled lava flows undulate from the canyon's summit to the bottom and thousands of boulders are strewn about, as by a giant's hand.
A 128-kilometer-long stream flows down, in some places as rushing waterfalls and cascades, in others as a gentle gurgle. Locals call it the "Heavenly Scenery of Rock and Water."
East Tianmu Mountain also deserves a visit, with Taihuyuan Scenic Area the main attraction. It boasts gorgeous scenery, including mountains, waterfalls, lakes, a canyon and lush greenery. It's also a spiritual place with an ancient temple.
Taihuyuan is the water source of Taihu Lake on the border of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. At the top of one of the scenic area's mountains is a lake and a large waterfall that feed Taihu Lake. Dubbed "Little Jiuzhai Valley," after the famous tourism destination in Sichuan Province, the scenic area is based around Longxu Canyon and East Tianmu Mountain. The canyon boasts forest coverage of up to 95 percent. Foliage is layered horizontally - at the base are broad-leaved trees, in the middle is mostly shrubbery, while at the top moss dominates.
If you go:
? Tianmu Canyon and West Tianmu Mountain:G60 (Shanghai-Hangzhou) Expressway - G56 (Hangzhou-Ruili) Expressway - Zaoxi Exit - Zaotian Line - Langbai Line - Menda Line - Tianmu Canyon
? Taihuyuan Town:G60 Expressway - G56 Expressway - Lin'an Exit - S520 - Taihuyuan Town
Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies
For those who do not want to leave the downtown area to chill out, the famous Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies is one of the most popular retreats from the summer heat.
With nine small connected creeks, the temperature is at least five degrees lower than elsewhere in the area. And it is even cooler if you go paddling or visit one of the tea houses nearby.
Walking upward from the lowest stream, you encounter fewer and fewer tourists, and the eateries are cooler and less crowded the higher you go. A visit to a tea house is recommended, where you can sip authentic Longjing - dragon well - tea amid the hills and creeks. Delicately scented tea and pleasant scenery will take you miles away from the urban heat.
One must-visit place is Li'an Temple about midway along the route. Not widely known, even among locals, it is a tranquil place. Earlier this year, Zhu Zheqin, who has been called the "Chinese Enya," set up her studio amid these peaceful surroundings.
If you go:
G60 (Shanghai-Hangzhou) Expressway - S2 Expressway (Hangzhou-Ningbo) Expressway - Desheng Road Exit - Desheng Road - Wenyi Road - Jiaogong Road - Huanglong Road - Shuguang Road - Yanggong Causeway - Longjin Road - Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies
Air-raid shelters
In a novel approach to beating the heat, 10 old air-raid shelters have been renovated and turned into cool spots offering refuge from the Hangzhou sun. Visitors can spend the day and picnic there and while some are quiet, others are bustling, even providing the venue for Yueju Opera productions. They are also pretty chilly, so take a quilt if you plan to hang out there. Here are the major ones.
Wushan Entertainment Park
This is the biggest of the shelters and is quite cold, so wrap up. It is adjacent to two well-known dim-sum restaurants, Wushan Dim-sum and Zhi Wei Guan.
Address: No. 38, Si Pai Lou
Transport: Gulou bus stop of Buses K8, K13, K87, K159, K198, K308, K801, K808, K834, Y6, K195
Baolu Hotel
This summer resort stands at the foot of Baoshi Hill, where some visitors book a month's stay to enjoy the nearby scenery.
Address: No. 19, Lane 4, Baoshishanxia
Transport: West to Shengfu Mansion bus stop of Buses K25, K16, Y4
Shuguang Road shelter
Yueju Opera productions by Hangzhou Volunteer Art Association are often performed there. Some opera fans take their own erhu (two-string Chinese fiddles) and join the performers.
Address: 97-1 Shuguang Rd
Transport: Shuguang Flat bus stop of Buses 527, K850, K81
Shelter at scenic Yuhuangshan Hill
At the foot of the hill, the old air-raid shelter is in one of Hangzhou's most scenic spots in Nanshan Village. There are nearby tea houses, perfect for a refreshing brew.
Address: Yuhuangshan Tunnel
Transport: Silk Museum bus stop of Buses K12, 809, Y3
Shanghai Daily introduces four places where lower temperatures, water and beautiful scenery provide cooler options where visitors can hike along tree-shaded mountainsides, splash in canyons, stroll on the banks of urban creeks, or just relax in former air-raid shelters, making summer in Hangzhou altogether more pleasant.
Tianmu area in Lin'an
Lin'an city in Hangzhou is especially recommended because of Tianmu area, which features mountains, lakes and cedar trees - its subtropical biodiversity leading to lower temperatures.
Most well-known is West Tianmu Mountain, 74 kilometers from Hangzhou. Dubbed the "kingdom of trees," this national nature reserve and world biosphere reserve has an average temperature below 22 degrees Celsius due to its geography and forest cover.
Along the mountain, farmer houses welcome visitors with authentic local food as well as simple accommodation - including flush toilets and air conditioning - with an average price of less than 100 yuan (US$15.7) a night.
The mountainside trees provide shade from the sun and create a quiet, idyllic atmosphere.
But if that's a bit too tranquil, visitors can have fun at Tianmu Canyon, location for kayaking, swimming and other water activities.
The only volcanic crater in east China, Tianmu Canyon is characterized by spectacular volcanic formations. Long-cooled lava flows undulate from the canyon's summit to the bottom and thousands of boulders are strewn about, as by a giant's hand.
A 128-kilometer-long stream flows down, in some places as rushing waterfalls and cascades, in others as a gentle gurgle. Locals call it the "Heavenly Scenery of Rock and Water."
East Tianmu Mountain also deserves a visit, with Taihuyuan Scenic Area the main attraction. It boasts gorgeous scenery, including mountains, waterfalls, lakes, a canyon and lush greenery. It's also a spiritual place with an ancient temple.
Taihuyuan is the water source of Taihu Lake on the border of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. At the top of one of the scenic area's mountains is a lake and a large waterfall that feed Taihu Lake. Dubbed "Little Jiuzhai Valley," after the famous tourism destination in Sichuan Province, the scenic area is based around Longxu Canyon and East Tianmu Mountain. The canyon boasts forest coverage of up to 95 percent. Foliage is layered horizontally - at the base are broad-leaved trees, in the middle is mostly shrubbery, while at the top moss dominates.
If you go:
? Tianmu Canyon and West Tianmu Mountain:G60 (Shanghai-Hangzhou) Expressway - G56 (Hangzhou-Ruili) Expressway - Zaoxi Exit - Zaotian Line - Langbai Line - Menda Line - Tianmu Canyon
? Taihuyuan Town:G60 Expressway - G56 Expressway - Lin'an Exit - S520 - Taihuyuan Town
Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies
For those who do not want to leave the downtown area to chill out, the famous Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies is one of the most popular retreats from the summer heat.
With nine small connected creeks, the temperature is at least five degrees lower than elsewhere in the area. And it is even cooler if you go paddling or visit one of the tea houses nearby.
Walking upward from the lowest stream, you encounter fewer and fewer tourists, and the eateries are cooler and less crowded the higher you go. A visit to a tea house is recommended, where you can sip authentic Longjing - dragon well - tea amid the hills and creeks. Delicately scented tea and pleasant scenery will take you miles away from the urban heat.
One must-visit place is Li'an Temple about midway along the route. Not widely known, even among locals, it is a tranquil place. Earlier this year, Zhu Zheqin, who has been called the "Chinese Enya," set up her studio amid these peaceful surroundings.
If you go:
G60 (Shanghai-Hangzhou) Expressway - S2 Expressway (Hangzhou-Ningbo) Expressway - Desheng Road Exit - Desheng Road - Wenyi Road - Jiaogong Road - Huanglong Road - Shuguang Road - Yanggong Causeway - Longjin Road - Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies
Air-raid shelters
In a novel approach to beating the heat, 10 old air-raid shelters have been renovated and turned into cool spots offering refuge from the Hangzhou sun. Visitors can spend the day and picnic there and while some are quiet, others are bustling, even providing the venue for Yueju Opera productions. They are also pretty chilly, so take a quilt if you plan to hang out there. Here are the major ones.
Wushan Entertainment Park
This is the biggest of the shelters and is quite cold, so wrap up. It is adjacent to two well-known dim-sum restaurants, Wushan Dim-sum and Zhi Wei Guan.
Address: No. 38, Si Pai Lou
Transport: Gulou bus stop of Buses K8, K13, K87, K159, K198, K308, K801, K808, K834, Y6, K195
Baolu Hotel
This summer resort stands at the foot of Baoshi Hill, where some visitors book a month's stay to enjoy the nearby scenery.
Address: No. 19, Lane 4, Baoshishanxia
Transport: West to Shengfu Mansion bus stop of Buses K25, K16, Y4
Shuguang Road shelter
Yueju Opera productions by Hangzhou Volunteer Art Association are often performed there. Some opera fans take their own erhu (two-string Chinese fiddles) and join the performers.
Address: 97-1 Shuguang Rd
Transport: Shuguang Flat bus stop of Buses 527, K850, K81
Shelter at scenic Yuhuangshan Hill
At the foot of the hill, the old air-raid shelter is in one of Hangzhou's most scenic spots in Nanshan Village. There are nearby tea houses, perfect for a refreshing brew.
Address: Yuhuangshan Tunnel
Transport: Silk Museum bus stop of Buses K12, 809, Y3
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